Midsummer Musings: Ode to the Suns
The Suns are in the Finals. Phoenix is a finalist. The Phoenix Suns have advanced to the final round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. No matter how you say it, the Suns’ success this season almost doesn’t sound real.
Use the fields below to perform an advanced search of The Dartmouth's archives. This will return articles, images, and multimedia relevant to your query.
43 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
The Suns are in the Finals. Phoenix is a finalist. The Phoenix Suns have advanced to the final round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. No matter how you say it, the Suns’ success this season almost doesn’t sound real.
This is the first edition of Midsummer Musings, a summer term column on the latest happenings in the world of sports.
On May 5, interim athletics director Peter Roby ’79 announced that Alex Kirk had been rehired as head coach of Dartmouth women’s golf.
On May 3, interim athletics director Peter Roby ’79 announced the hiring of Adrienne Shibles as the new head coach of Dartmouth’s women’s basketball team. Shibles will replace former coach Belle Koclanes, who departed in February following eight years at the helm.
Some of Dartmouth’s most accomplished athletes decided to transfer in the past year due to canceled seasons and the Ivy League’s policy against graduate athletic participation. Although the Ivy League Council of Presidents voted in February to allow current seniors admitted into graduate programs at their schools to compete as fifth-year players, it was too late for a number of Big Green athletes. Men’s basketball player Chris Knight ’21, who will play at Loyola University Chicago next year, criticized the timing of the Ivy League’s decision, noting that he and his teammates did not believe they had enough time to apply to Dartmouth graduate programs.
As Dartmouth sports teams begin spring practices amid their fourth consecutive season impacted by COVID-19, warmer weather is allowing for the opening of some outdoor facilities and, for Dartmouth student-athletes, brings with it the promise of a return to competition in the near future. Despite the Ivy League’s decision to cancel conference play this spring, Dartmouth teams will be allowed by the conference to compete in non-Ivy competitions within 100 miles of Hanover, Provost Joseph Helble said in a “Community Conversations” livestream Wednesday. Softball, men’s and women’s track and field and men’s and women’s tennis are scheduled to begin competing on April 24, while men’s lacrosse and possibly heavyweight rowing are expected to begin competing later in the spring. Spectators will not be allowed at those competitions, and details are being finalized by the athletics department, according to Helble.
On Wednesday, the College notified student-athletes that it had canceled all in-person athletic activities due to a spike in COVID-19 cases on campus. As of Monday’s COVID-19 dashboard update, there were 122 active cases among students — over quadruple the number of cases reported as the surge was first recorded on Wednesday.
Last month, the athletics department announced the reinstatement of five teams originally cut in July: men’s and women’s golf, men’s lightweight rowing and men’s and women’s swimming and diving. Athletes from both the reinstated sports and other teams have expressed support for the College’s decision, though some say they have been left with a lasting distrust of the athletics department.
On Jan. 26, the NFL’s Washington Football Team announced the promotion of former Dartmouth offensive assistant Jennifer King from a full-year coaching intern to the assistant running backs coach, making her the first Black woman to serve as a full-time coach in professional football history.
With the Ivy League’s cancellation of all winter intercollegiate athletic competition, Dartmouth’s winter athletes have been forced to adapt to strange new circumstances: a full season without their sport.
Matt Kaskey ’19 made his NFL debut for the Carolina Panthers on Jan. 3 against the New Orleans Saints, who clinched a 33-7 victory.
In four seasons with the Big Green, defensive end Niko Lalos ’20 recorded one interception and one fumble recovery. In the two games since the New York Giants elevated Lalos off their practice squad at the end of November, he has already matched those totals, forcing a pair of clutch turnovers in back-to-back weekends.
This July, Dartmouth announced the elimination of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, in addition to four other varsity teams. Although the swimming and diving program came to an abrupt end, team members remember a legacy of success, teamwork and passion for the sport.
Four former Dartmouth hockey players have spent their fall terms preparing to join professional hockey programs when the competitive season begins. Drew O’Connor ’22 signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in March, Will Graber ’20 signed with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears following the 2020 season and two of Graber’s classmates — Cam Strong ’20 and Adrian Clark ’20 — signed with clubs in the ECHL.
Former Dartmouth men’s hockey forward Mike Murray ’03 was appointed to the role of assistant to the general manager of the Minnesota Wild, the NHL team announced earlier this month.
Four student-athletes on the Dartmouth women’s rugby team are spending part of their fall term training full-time with the U.S. Women’s National Team. Athletes invited to train with the National Team will compete for a spot in the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Whenever Dartmouth men’s basketball next takes the court, the team will feature one of its best recruiting classes in recent history. With its new recruits, the team aims to earn its first winning Ivy League record in 21 years.
In the wake of Dartmouth’s July 9 decision to eliminate five varsity sports teams — men’s and women’s golf, men’s lightweight rowing and men’s and women’s swimming and diving — affected student-athletes faced tough choices about their athletic futures. Though some teams have campaigned for reinstatement, athletics director Harry Sheehy indicated in an interview that these cuts would not be reversed.
The Ivy League’s decision to cancel all fall intercollegiate athletic competition has paused Dartmouth’s quest to repeat as Ivy League champions until at least the spring. The Big Green is adjusting to a limited, COVID-19-safe practice routine in hopes of an eventual season.
Katie Erdos ’20 has been a leader since her first day on the Big Green women’s crew team, serving as coxswain for the Varsity 8 for the duration of her career.